


Betrayal at the Ball

by Astoryscribbler



Category: Original Work
Genre: Action, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Fantasy, Fights, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Other, Swordfighting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-15 03:33:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29182590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Astoryscribbler/pseuds/Astoryscribbler
Summary: Someone plans to sabotage the royal ball in the worst way, and there isn't a lot of time to stop them.
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	Betrayal at the Ball

‘We have to go now. The Prince is in danger.’ 

The two people raced through the hall, shoes clacking against the tile. Karina was slightly ahead, the skirt of her ballgown bunched in her hands. She slammed into the door of the ballroom and Luca fell in next to her, bracing against the door. 

‘Is now the wrong time to be impressed at how you can run in that outfit?’

‘Definitely.’ The two of them grunted and pushed open the doors, the music and magic of the ball washing over them. The band to the side was mid song and nobles were spinning across the dance floor in a kaleidoscope of colours and sparkling jewels. 

‘I don’t see the King,’ Luca said. 

‘Or the Prince,’ Karina shook her head, brushing flyaway hairs off her face. ‘This is bad.’

‘Karina?’ she grimaced and turned her head to see a shocked looking matron eyeing her dress, ‘What on earth did you do to your gown? And your beautiful hair-’

‘Mother, now is not the time!’ 

‘There!’ Luca cried out. Karina looked to see where he was pointing. The Prince was parting from the crowd. And Brenton was next to him. 

‘Oh no.’ Karina dodged past her mother and dived into the crowd of dancers. Luca shouted something about the guards but she didn’t hear, twirling with the rest of the room to try and not get trampled. She swerved and sidestepped her way through, trying to keep her eyes on the pair of men as they walked up a set of marble stairs to the royal balcony. She grunted and pushed the last of the dancers, sending a few of the women scattering to the floor. Cries of protest and shock started to sound as the crowd turned into an audience watching Karina race for the stairs. 

One of her shoes slipped away as she took the stairs two at a time, trying to gain on the pair. She crested the top of the stairs and looked between the two. The Prince was turning around to look at her with surprise. Brenton was twirling his cane, an amused look dropping as Karina locked eyes with him. The cane lowered and Brenton pulled out a thin glistening blade. 

‘Aldric!’ Karina cried out and tackled the prince, dragging him away from Brenton as the knife lunged out and missed her by an inch. 

‘Karina what are you-’ the Prince started, then looked past Karina and to the knife above them, ‘...Brenton? What is this?’ 

Brenton scowled and stepped closer, but Karina wrested her other stiletto off and slammed it into Brenton’s knee. He cried out and stepped backwards as Karina climbed to her feet and Luca appeared at the top of the staircase with the guards, a sword in each hand. Karina looked back to Luca as he raised one of the swords, ‘Thought you might need this.’ 

‘I don’t understand,’ Aldric looked from the guards to Brenton. ‘You, would betray us?’

Brenton ignored him and glowered at Karina, ‘I take it you were snooping around private quarters again?’

‘Actually,’ Luca gestured, ‘I was the one snooping. Lady Karina was guarding me.’

‘You expect me to believe that? No one else would dare enter the chambers of a childhood friend and diplomat. But you?’ He scoffed, ‘I expect nothing else from the Prince’s b-’

Aldric grabbed the hilt of one of Luca’s swords and drew, holding the blade at Brenton’s neck, ‘Be very careful what you say next.’

Brenton laughed as Karina armed herself and stepped up to the Prince, ‘Of course. Assassination is one thing, but insulting the Prince’s lady is another matter entirely.’ The grip around Brenton’s knife tightened and he flipped the cane to hold the head, swiping it out in front of them so the wood flew away and a thin rapier was revealed. 

‘Brenton Drake,’ Karina said, ‘you are under arrest for attempted assassination and treason. Explain your actions at once.’

He sneered at her, then turned back to the Prince, ‘I’m sure you will have the time to ask your father later.’

Luca gasped behind them, ‘Guards, find the King now.’ A troupe of them barged past the guests and headed for the doors. The people on the balcony didn’t notice the new armoured men enter the ballroom, or that they weren’t wearing the royal colours. 

A scream broke the air and Brenton lunged at Aldric. Karina jumped in and parried the knife, moving to attack as Aldric stepped in time and deflected the incoming rapier. Luca backed away from the fight, looking between his friends on the balcony and the scene below. More cries of fear and pain were echoing off the ceiling and mixed with the clangs of metal against metal and tile. The cacophony grew and Luca looked back at the fighters on the balcony, before heading down the stairs. At least there he could help. 

Brenton lunged again with the knife and Karina moved to block it. Suddenly the knife was gone, Brenton feinted and swung around with his sword at the Prince. Aldric parried in turn, moving to lunge, but his attacks didn’t have any power in them. Karina however tried to make every blow lethal when she had the chance, but Brenton made it too easy to play her into a position where she needed to defend herself or the Prince. 

‘I thought you were faster than this Karina,’ Brenton chuckled.

Her eyes narrowed and she slashed again, ‘Face me when I’m not wearing five petticoats and you would already be ribbons.’

He tutted as he jumped away from her sword and measured up the pair in front of him, ‘I’ll be sure to put that on your tombstone.’ 

Aldric growled and stepped up with more fire in his strikes, ‘You still haven’t explained why you’re doing this. Step down now and there may still be mercy for you.’

Brenton scoffed, ‘How are you still this naive? There is no mercy to be found here. Only death. And I’d rather it be yours than mine.’ 

Aldric flinched at the words as Brenton’s rapier came up to strike Karina. She went to block, only seeing a second too late that it was another feint. The knife, still glistening, was poised and aimed at Aldric’s heart. She screamed and pushed Aldric out of the way, the knife plunging into her shoulder. She gritted her teeth and grabbed Brenton’s wrist, fury flaring as Brenton tried to pull back into a defensive position. Aldric jumped back up and slashed at Brenton, carving into his chest. 

He cried out and pulled away, the knife clattering to the floor. He gripped his rapier tighter and Karina did the same with her sword, trying to ignore the burning fire spreading from her shoulder and taking over her body. But Aldric was done. He swiped and pushed Brenton back until Brenton fell to the floor, rapier skidding away as he looked up at the Prince now poised with his sword. 

Karina tried to swallow against the pain coursing through her, but as she stepped forward her legs lost all strength and she fell to her knees, the skirt of her dress pooling around her to catch her blood. The Prince looked at her in alarm as she fought for breath, and he put his sword to Brenton’s throat, ‘What was on the blade?’

Brenton only laughed, ‘Really? Your own life in danger and you can barely fight back, but the fake noble is threatened and now you bare your claws?’

Aldric knelt down and grabbed Brenton by his hair, aiming the sword at his chest, ‘You will tell me everything I want to know now or you will suffer a thousand times for your crimes today.’

Brenton looked at him with cold eyes, ‘I think not Your Grace.’ Without warning Brenton grabbed the blade of the sword, metal biting his fingers as he pulled the sword into his chest. Aldric cried out in surprise and pulled the sword back, but Brenton was already falling to the floor, his heart’s blood pooling around him.

Karina coughed and looked up, ‘I’m sorry.’ Aldric dropped the sword and moved to his knees, examining Karina with alarm and worry, ‘I wanted to be wrong. I wanted…’

‘No. You don’t apologise for his decisions or actions,’ Aldric said. The tears were dripping onto the silk dress around them as he touched Karina’s cold cheeks. ‘You did everything right. Now we just need to get that wound checked and…’

Karina’s arms gave out and she began to fall. Aldric caught her, pulling her back so she could rest in his arms, ‘I don’t think...the healers...will be…’

‘No. This isn’t happening.’ Karina you need to fight this. You need to keep your eyes open.’ Footsteps sounded and Aldric looked up at Luca appearing again, his shirt spotted with blood. ‘Luca. Get the healer now.’ 

Luca stared at the scene in front of him, and nodded, ‘At once Your Grace.’

He ran down the stairs and Aldric turned back to Karina. She was watching him with a sad smile, fingers gripping his tunic. ‘You listen to me now Karina. You have never lost a fight. Ever. So, you need to beat this as well.’

She tried to laugh, her voice quiet as her eyes grew heavy, ‘I’m sorry my Prince. But this one might break my winning streak.’ 

Tears splashed onto her face as Aldric brushed her cheek again, ‘Please Karina. Don’t leave me. I forbid it.’

‘As my Prince commands,’ she tried to say. But the air wasn’t there for her words. Aldric only heard a mumble, and he held her closer as her fingers let go of his tunic. As the darkness crept in, Karina could see the Prince’s distraught face. She tried to wipe away his tears. She tried to say, ‘Please don’t cry. There are so many important people in this world to care about. Please, don’t waste your tears on me.’


End file.
